Distributor vacuum control



June 20, 1967 .1. L. ELKINS DISTRIBUTOR VACUUM CONTROL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 12, 1965 James L. E llr/ns INVIZNTOR. 5,7016% June 20, 1967 L, ELKlNs 3,326,197

DISTRIBUTOR VACUUM CONTROL Filed Aug. 12, 1965 2 SheetsSheet Fig. 3

James L. E llr/hs INVENTOR.

Y flzmaafiam United States Patent 3,326,197 DISTRIBUTQR VACUUM CONTROL James L. Elltins, Rte. 6, Box 85, Fayetteville, N.C. 28301 Filed Aug. 12, 1965, Ser. No. 479,190 1 Claim. (Cl. 123-117) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A valve construction for disposition in the vacuum line extending between a conventional distributor vacuum advance mechanism and a source of suitable vacuum from an associated internal combustion engine and including remotely operable control means, the valve construction being operable to selectively vary the rate at which quantities of air may move through the portion of the vacuum line with which the valve is operatively associated.

This invention relates to a novel and useful distributor vacuum control and more specifically to an airflow control valve assembly which is adapted to be disposed in the vacuum line extending between the vacuum advance mechanism of an ignition distributor and the source of engine vacuum to which the Vacuum line is connected at its end remote from the distributor vacuum advance mechanism.

The distributor vacuum actuated spark advancing mechanism of an internal combustion engine is actuated to advance the ignition timing of the engine as engine vacuum increases and to retard the engine timing as the engine vacuum decreases. Any change in engine vacuum efiects longitudinal movement of the column of air in the vacuum conduit communicating the vacuum spark advancing mechanism with the source of engine vacuum and therefore any change in the distributor timing to be effected by a change in engine vacuum may be delayed by metering the fiow of air through the vacuum conduit communicating the vacuum actuated spark advancing mechanism with the source of engine vacuum. Further, it is a well known fact that pre-detonation or spark knock can be eliminated or at least substantially reduced by retarding the ignition timing of an internal combustion engine. However, retarding the ignition timing in a manner to retard the timing over the full spark advance curve of an associated ignition distributor results in a loss of power of the associated internal combustion engine at cruising speed as well as high speed.

Therefore, it is the main object of this invention to provide a distributor vacuum control which will be operative to delay the spark advancing action effected by the ignition distributor of an associated internal combustion engine in a manner such that upon acceleration of the associated internal combustion engine under load a given spark advancing action effected by the vacuum advancing mechanism of the ignition distributor will not be completed until after the internal combustion engine has reached ahigher operating speed. In this manner, loWer octane gasolines having lower antiknock ratings may be utilized as fuel for a given internal combustion engine without experiencing the usual pre-detonation or spark knock caused by low octane fuel while still maintaining substantially the same engine efficiency under cruising and high speed operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dis- 3,326,197 Patented June 20, 1967 Still another object of this invention is to provide a vacuum control in accordance with the preceding objects and including means by which the metering action of the vacuum control on the flow of air through the associated vacuum conduit may be adjusted from a remote location.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a distributor vacuum control in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long-lasting and relatively trouble-free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of an internal combustion engine and an ignition distributor therefor shown with the vacuum control of the instant invention operatively interposed in the vacuum conduit extending between the vacuum actuated spark advancing mechanism of the distributor and a source of engine vacuum;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a modified form of vacuum control valve assembly showing the manner in which it may be operatively mounted from the dashboard of an associated vehicle, the dashboard and portions of the mounting means for the control valve being shown in vertical section;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the remote control portion ofthe vacuum control illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing through a modified form of control valve;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon a plane indicated by the section line 55 of FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing through the center of a still further modified form of control valve assembly;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 7-7 of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing through the center of yet another modified form of control valve;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged top plan view of the movable valve member of the control valve assembly illus trated'in FIGURE 8; and

FIGURE 10 is a front elevational view of the control knob of the vacuum control shown operatively associated with a modified form of face plate which may be utilized in lieu of the control knob face plate illustrated in FIGURES 1-3.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates a conventional internal combustion engine including an intake manifold 12 on which there is mounted a carburetor 14. The internal combustion engine 10 has a conventional form of ignition distributor generally referred to by the reference numeral 15 operatively associated therewith and the ignition distributor 15 includes a vacuum actuated spark advancing mechanism generally referred to by the reference numeral 16 which is designed to operate in response to changes in engine vacuum and is operatively communicated with a source of engine vacuum such as the lower portion of the carburetor 14 by means of a vacuum conduit assem- 3,3 3 bly generally referred to by the reference numeral 18 extending between the vacuum actuated spark advancing mechanism 16 and the carburetor 14.

The vacuum conduit assembly 18 includes first and second sections 20 and 22 between which the control valve assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 24 is disposed. The control valve assembly 24 comprises the basic portion of the vacuum control of the instant invention generally referred to by the reference numeral 26 and includes a valve body 28 having opposite ends 30 and 32 to which the sections 20 and 22 are operatively connected by means of flexible tube sections 34 and 36, respectively.

With attention now directed more specifically to FIG- URES 4 and of the drawing, there may be seen a modified form of control valve assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 37 having a body portion 38 defining an air passage 40 extending therethrough and including opposite ends 42 and 44. The body 38 has a truncated cone-shaped cavity 46 formed therein and a valve member element 48 mounted on a shaft 50 is rotatably disposed within the cavity 46 and is complementary to the latter. The opposite end portions of the shaft 50 are rotatably journaled in aligned bores 52 and 54 formed in a removable cavity cover 56 threadedly engaged with the body 38 as at 58 and formed in the body 38, respectively. The valve member element 48 is substantially truncated cone-shaped in configuration and is complementary in size and shape to the cavity 46 in which it is disposed. The shaft 50 includes a diametric bore 60 for securement of any suitable means to the shaft 50 for effecting its rotation or oscillation.

The body 38 also includes a pair of upstanding grooves 62 and 64 which open into the cavity 46 and which are diametrically opposed relative to the cavity 46. In addition, the grooves 62 and 64 are communicated with the air passage or bore 40. The valve member element 48 includes a plurality of axially spaced and angularly related diametric bores 66, 68, 70-, 72 and 74 whose opposite ends are selectively registrable with the groves 62 and 64 and which therefore may be selectively communicated with the air passage or bore 40 extending through the body 38. The bores 66, 68, 70, 72 and 74 are of different diameters and therefore the rate at which a column of air passes through the body 38 may be metered by selectively rotating the valve member element 48 to bring the desired diametric bore formed therein in registry with the grooves 62 and 64 and therefore the air passage or bore 40.

A compression spring 76 is disposed about the end portion of the shaft 50 which projects outwardly of the body 38 and is adjacent the minor diameter end portion of the valve element 48. The compression spring 76 is disposed between two thrust washers 78 and 80 mounted on the shaft 50 and bearing against the body 38 and a removable abutment element 82, respectively, secured through the shaft 50.

The interior of the control valve assembly 24 is substantially identical to the interior of the control valve assembly 37 excepting that the major and diameter end portions of the recess and valve member element disposed therein are reversed and the shaft 84 corresponding to the shaft 50 does not project from opposite sides of the assembly 24 and has a compression spring 86 mounted on the apertured end of the shaft 84 with which a laterally directed end portion 88 of a control shaft 90 is engaged. The control shaft 90 has a control knob 92 mounted on the end thereof remote from the shaft 84 and is journaled from a support bracket 94 secured to the lower lip 96 of the dashboard 98 of an associated motor vehicle by means of a suitable fastener 100. The knob 92 is secured on the control rod 90 in any convenient manner such as by a setscrew 102 and a dial plate 104 is mounted on the bracket 94 and also rotatably receives the rod 90. The dial plate 104 is disposed between the knob 92 and the bracket 94 and includes indicia 106 thereon with which a pointer 108 carried by the knob 92 is registrable. Still further, the dial plate 104 includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced outwardly opening recesses 110 in which a spring-urged detent member 112 carried by the knob 92 is seatingly receivable.

With attention now invited to FIGURE 2 of the drawings, there may be seen a modified manner of mounting the control valve assembly 24 directly on the dashboard 98 by means of an adapter fitting 114 which supports the control valve assembly 24 directly from the dashboard 98 with the extended end portion of the shaft 84 projecting through an opening 116 formed in the dashboard 98. In this form of the invention the knob 92 has its setscrew seated in the diametric bore 118 formed in the shaft 84.

With attention now directed more specifically to FIG- URES 6 and 7 of the drawings, there will be seen a modified form of valve assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 120 and which is similar to the control valve assembly 37 except that it does not include recesses corresponding to the recesses 62 and 64 and the bores 122, 124, 126, 128 and 130 corresponding to the bores 66, 68, 70, 72 and 74 are disposed in the same horizontal plane and therefore intersect in the center of the valve member element 132 thereof as most clearly seen in FIGURE 7 of the drawings.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIG- URES 8 and 9 of the drawings, there will be seen yet another modified form of control valve assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 134. The body 136 of the assembly 134 is substantially identical to the body of the assembly 120 and although the valve member element 138 has the same general configuration as the valve member elements 48 and 132, the valve member element 138 has a diametric bore 140 formed therethrough whose opposite ends are registrable with the opposite end portions of the air bore or passage 142 formed through the body 136 and which include tapering circumferentially extending end portions 144 and 146.

From the drawings and the preceding description it will be seen that the rate of flow of air through the control valve assemblies 37, 120 and 134 may be adjustably varied by adjustably rotatably positioning the corresponding valve member elements.

With attention now invited more specifically to FIG- URE 10 of the drawings, there may be seen a modified form of dial plate which may be used in lieu of the dial plate 104 and which includes outwardly opening recesses 152 corresponding to the recesses 110. Still further, it is to be noted that when the dial 92 is mounted on the shaft 84 the diametric blind bore 154 normally receiving the rod 90 will have to be diametrically enlarged in order to accommodate the larger diameter shaft 84. Still further, inasmuch as the adapter fitting 114 illustrated in FIGURE 2 may be utilized, in conjunction with a suitable thrust washer 155, to precisely axially space the knob 92 along the shaft 84 in a manner enabling the thrust washer 155 to pre-load the valve member element of the control valve 24, in the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 2 a compression spring corresponding to the compression spring 86 is not needed.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

In combination with a vacuum actuated distributor timing advance mechanism of the type including a vacuum line operatively communicated with said mechanism at one end and adapted for communication with a source of manifold vacuum at the other end, a distributor vacuum control comprising a valve body including means defining an air passage extending therethrou-gh, said valve body being disposed in said line with said passage defining a portion of said line, a valve member movably mounted in said valve body and operable to adjustably restrict the passage of air through said air passage, said valve body including means defining a truncated cone-shaped cavity, said valve member being of a complementary shape and journaled in said cavity, said air passage opening into generally diametrically opposite portions of said cavity, said valve member having a plurality of angularly disposed generally diametrically extending bores formed therethrough and disposed in generally parallel planes spaced longitudinally of the axis of rotation of said valve member, said cavity including generally diametrically op- 1 posite and longitudinally extending inwardly opening grooves with which the remote ends of said bores are selectively registrable, said grooves being communicated with said passage.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,897,703 2/1933 Mallory 123117.1 2,141,029 12/1938 Bohli 123--117.1 2,902,253 9/ 1959 Page 251-31 1 X FOREIGN PATENTS 9,321 1899 Great Britain. 507,725 6/ 1939 Great Britain.

MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner. a

RALPH D. BLAKESLEE, Examiner. 

